“There should be something tangible to see,” said Harold Williams, a Shreveporter who attended District 12 Caddo Commissioner Ken Epperson’s community meeting at Western Hills Baptist Church. It’s from there that Epperson called Elio for an update on efforts to start producing his vehicle at the former General Motors assembly plant in west Shreveport. The conversation via speaker phone lasted barely six minutes.

Afterward, Williams said he’s still not convinced there is a large enough market for a three-wheel vehicle for Elio Motors to succeed. “You should see some kind of results by now.”

Elio Motors had its best month for reservations — 6,350 — in August, the company’s CEO said. “That’s a big deal.”

Meantime, the company has gone through equipment left behind by GM and is selling off any Elio Motors will not need. Income earned from the sale of the surplus gear should cover what Elio Motors owes on all of the equipment and bring in millions for the company, Elio said.

And Elio said the Energy Department’s consideration of his company’s application for a $185 million Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan is going well. He, however, offered no specifics about the Energy Department’s preliminary feedback on the loan application.

Elio Motors has promised to bring 1,500 manufacturing jobs to Caddo, but a lack of capital has delayed production. That work now is expected to start no sooner than the fourth quarter of 2015.

“We are well underway. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this thing is going to happen,” Epperson told the audience at the end of the conversation.

Western Hills Baptist pastor Joey Ketchum, who rides a motorcycle, said he wants an Elio. “I look forward to it coming here. I have inquired as far as securing my own.”

Still, Ketchum thinks there Elio Motors needs to have a more tangible presence in Shreveport, such a car people can test drive.

Charles Wilson says count him among the hopeful. “Things look like they may be coming together,” said the Shreveporter who was disappointed when the GM plant closed.

“I’m still waiting to see. I have some reservations. It’s taken so long. There’s been so much back and forth, but I’m optimistic. We can use it.”

FIND IT ONLINE

Learn more about Elio Motors, the Caddo Commission and the U.S. Energy Department’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program @shreveporttimes.com.

An earlier version of this article contained a photo of someone decidedly not Caddo Commissioner Ken Epperson. Oops.